The Weekly Standard reserves the right to use your email for internal use only. Occasionally,
we may send you special offers or communications from carefully selected advertisers we believe may be of benefit to our subscribers.
Click the box to be included in these third party offers. We respect your privacy and will never rent or sell your email.

Please include me in third party offers.

President Obama, an avid basketball player and fan, called the head coach of the NBA championship team Miami Heat to say congratulations and to invite the squad to the White House. Obama called Heat coach Erik Spoelstra yesterday from Air Force One.

"Aboard Air Force One en route to Tampa, the President telephoned Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to congratulate him on his team's victory in the NBA Finals," Josh Earnest, White House principal deputy press secretary, said in a statement. "He complimented the performance of the players and coaches noting that the team seemed to get stronger as the playoffs wore on. He asked Coach Spoelstra to tell the team that he looks forward to celebrating their NBA championship with them at the White House."

The Heat feature arguably the most talented basketball player in the league, LeBron James. In February, James donated to a $30,000 per head fundraiser for Obama at the home of Vince Carter, guard for the Dallas Mavericks, though a basketball game kept the star from attending. In the 2008 election cycle, LeBron James donated $20,000 to Democratic causes.